Trailer Watch – Opening April 6, 2007

I realize that I am basically video-blogging at this point. This is because I am currently in a schoolwork lull, which means my neurons are going to sleep. In other news, could the studios release SOMETHING I want to watch in a city near me? kthxbye.

Are We Done Yet?

Eh. This could look worse than it does. It was originally supposed to be a remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, I think, but then sort of got mashed up as a sequel to Are We There Yet? But it looks fitfully amusing, if you like slapstick family comedies. Plus, it’s got the attending doctor from Scrubs, and I love him. Most reviewers are saying it’s crap, though, and I’m not planning to see it at all, so there you have it.

The Reaping

Oh, Hilary Swank, what are you doing with your career? Horror films like this are a dime a dozen. Not to mention the brain trust that decided that mixing those cool Exodus plagues up with the creepy child subgenre. That’ll be a winner. Not.

Firehouse Dog

“Now, a dog who needs a home and a kid who needs a friend are about to find each other.” And they do. And now you don’t have to see the movie. At least the dog doesn’t talk. Apparently. Needy dog/kid movies are also a dime a dozen.

Grindhouse

Okay. This is critic’s darling this week, even prompting Ryan at Cinematical to bust a gut over its lackluster opening day performance. Personally, I’m not surprised that America isn’t ready for Grindhouse. I’m not. I mean, I like both Tarantino and Rodriguez. I like the things they’ve done to make these films look like 1970s exploitation films, as far as the film grain and low-budget look. And yet, I have no desire to see 1970s exploitation films revived, and I have no desire to see a homage to them. So leave me out of it.

The Hoax

This is the teaser trailer, because I liked it better than the full trailer. As is so often the case. And when the teaser trailer is better than the full trailer, it always makes me worried about the whole movie. Although this has gotten some good press, I’m not sure how the premise can sustain itself for a whole film. Plus, I dislike Richard Gere. On the good side, I LOVE the font used in the teaser. What is that font? Anyone? Anyone? Opening in limited release.

Black Book

Paul Verhoeven, director of such classics as Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct, Total Recall, and RoboCop, turns classy. Heh. I’m kidding. Actually, Starship Troopers is really quite good. I haven’t seen the others. And also, I hear that besides the political intrigue obvious in the trailer, there’s also a dash of sexual intrigue, Basic Instinct-style. In any case, it’s being hailed as an extremely well-done film from Verhoeven, back in his native Holland. The plot looks interesting enough to make me Netflix it. Opening in New York and LA.

The TV Set

I would really like for this to be good. It looks to be right up my alley. But I hear that it’s not as good as it looks, and somewhat miscast. :( On the other hand, Judy Greer is amazing in everything that I’ve seen her in, so it might be worth checking out just for her. Opening in limited release.